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I purchased a Fasttrack Girder Bridge ( has attached track). I have 3 lion chief engines and 3 separate rail lines. When the engines pass over the bridge they loss all electrical power in addition when I run a caboose over the bridge by hand the lights go out. I compared the under side of the bridge track to a regular straight fasttrack the regular has a jumper crossing over both out side rails the bridge track does  not. I'm running a 72 amp Lion CHIEF POWER SUPPY.

Any ideas?

 

Last edited by Majorconn
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Not familiar with the bridge or the power supply, but I would start by taking a voltmeter and testing for voltage on the track immediately before, after and on the bridge and that should get you started.

I think you can also take the bridge out of the layout, put the lighted caboose on it and, using jumpers, apply power to the track on the bridge and see if the lights come on.

Is it the same issue if the engines are facing either direction when running through the bridge? Is this the small 10" bridge or the large 30" truss bridge? The truss bridge has a lift out section that may have lost contact. If it's the small bridge, how is it supported and is there any flexing when the engines run across it?

George

Had 2 of them a few years ago and both had the same problem you described.  As you noticed, the two outside rails are insulated from one another.    Tried all the "pin bending" and "rail squeezing" that often improves continuity on Fastrack.  With the bridges out of the layout my meter showed open circuits on either the center rail or both outside rails.   Ended up throwing them out.

Majorconn,

Can you post a photo of the bottom of the bridge track section following on JFC454's reply?

Another thought not related: You have a 72 WATT  LionChief power supply which is 4 amps @18 volts DC. This should be sufficient for one good sized loop of track. So, you will test for DC voltage.

I think you are pushing it if you are powering 3 loops.

There must be something with the bridge track that is causing the no power condition.

Majorconn posted:

Thanks for the feed back. I  tried running one of my old engines from the 70s with a 125w ac transformer had same results engine stopped half way across the bridge, My 3 loops are individually powered by 50w DC, 72w DC and 125w AC. I Wrote Lionel about the problem lets see what they say.

 

David

David,

I looked at the bridge at my hobby shop today. The rails are one piece in the deck and are direct end to end. There should be no loss of power. I did notice that the outside rails are not tied together like a FasTrack 10" straight.

Some simple voltage testing with power on or continuity testing with power off should identify where the connection issue located. Harbor Freight has deals on an expensive meter a lot.

Follow up on Bridge. The note I sent to Lionel tech support.

 

I took the bridge to my Local Hobby shop and had the technician check it out.  Attached bridge to two short Fasttrack  sections and checked  the rails with a meter and found no continuity on the power rail also checked out side rails and found loss of continuity. The tech used a pair of pliers to re crimp the rails to the pins after several attempts we were able to get continuity how ever after connecting and disconnecting the 5 inch Fasttrack sections we lost continuity. It appears the aluminum rails on the bridge will not hold a crimp which leads us to believe the problem is a manufacturing / design problem the aluminum rails are not as robust as the rails on stand alone fast track. I brought the bridge home and installed it in my layout and re-crimped the track to the pins. The first go around the train crossed the bridge but it slowed down at the end of the bridge and the lights flickered in all the coaches. I will return the bridge for a refund a very poor product.

David

    

Majorconn posted:

Follow up on Bridge. The note I sent to Lionel tech support.

 

I took the bridge to my Local Hobby shop and had the technician check it out.  Attached bridge to two short Fasttrack  sections and checked  the rails with a meter and found no continuity on the power rail also checked out side rails and found loss of continuity. The tech used a pair of pliers to re crimp the rails to the pins after several attempts we were able to get continuity how ever after connecting and disconnecting the 5 inch Fasttrack sections we lost continuity. It appears the aluminum rails on the bridge will not hold a crimp which leads us to believe the problem is a manufacturing / design problem the aluminum rails are not as robust as the rails on stand alone fast track. I brought the bridge home and installed it in my layout and re-crimped the track to the pins. The first go around the train crossed the bridge but it slowed down at the end of the bridge and the lights flickered in all the coaches. I will return the bridge for a refund a very poor product.

David

    

David,

Thanks for update. Not an insurmountable problem, but, it should work out of the box as intended. Things happen like the crimp machine settings being a little off these days when using contractors to build products.

 

Well there is always the trick i used to use AA batteries in an old calculator, that had a custom power pack. Use an aluminum foil shim to fill the joint, you will need feeder wires at both ends, but worth a try. What is probably happening is the aluminum is being corroded by the steel, or copper/bronze rail, not a good idea from an electrical standpoint, re-crimping fixed it by removing the corrosion and contact resumes, rather foolish mistake if it is aluminum, steel has to be used with steel rails or wheels to avoid cathodic corrosion.

 

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